Longtime newsman, columnist and author – Weldon Payne – has passed away. He was 92 years old.
Payne died on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
Payne served as the publisher of the Manchester Times for 17 years in the 1960s and 70s.
He worked for the Jackson Daily News in MS, Nashville Banner, Huntsville Times,
Associated Press in Birmingham, AL, and Tullahoma News before serving as publisher of the Manchester paper beginning in 1962.
Visitation with the family will be from noon until 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at Central Funeral Home in Manchester with services to begin at 2 p.m.
His full obituary is below:
Vernon Weldon Payne, 92, of Manchester, TN died on
Wednesday, April 6, 2022. He was born in Thrifty, TX on February 13, 1930
to Millard Vernon and Martha Jane Payne, and was married to Barbara Payne
for 65 years. He spent most of his childhood in Apex, AL and following
employment in the Fairfield, AL steel mills, he served in the United States
Navy during the Korean War. Traveling the world on the USS Daly and the USS
Caperton, both destroyers, was a highlight of his life and is where he
started a newspaper for the sailors, as he worked in the ship office,
reporting to the commanding officer.
Following his military service, Weldon graduated with a B.A degree from the
University of Alabama where he majored in journalism and fiction writing.
It was at Bama where he met and wed Barbara Bridges from MS who was then
teaching at MS College. Weldon was a licensed barber while attending the
university.
Weldon was a gifted writer, artist, teacher, and newspaper man. He worked
for the Jackson Daily News in MS, Nashville Banner, Huntsville Times,
Associated Press in Birmingham, AL, and Tullahoma News. Beginning in 1962,
he served as editor and publisher of the Manchester Times for 17 years.
For over ten years, he taught numerous courses at Motlow Community College
and finished his career in Public Relations and Communications for
University of Tennessee Space Institute. It was here that he wrote the
published history of UTSI’s first 25 years.
Beginning in college and spanning over 55 years, Weldon wrote a weekly
column, Through the Pane, in local and Southeastern newspapers with wide
ranging topics including ordinary life experiences and reactions to daily
events. He published several works of fiction and collections of columns
and stories, including A Taste of Time. His stone carvings have been
exhibited at the Parthenon Museum in Nashville, TN as well as other venues.
Mr. Payne enjoyed quail hunting dogs, fishing, good literature, water
color, oils, and pastel painting, stone carving, plays, sunsets and he
loved his family. He was a member of First Baptist Church, Manchester.
Weldon is survived by his wife, Barbara, and three children and their
spouses: Chris and Cherry Payne, Gainesville, FL; Scott and Valerie Payne,
Goodlettsville, TN, and Jill and Hunt Dunlap, Macomb, IL. Weldon and
Barbara have eight grandchildren, Caroline Purvis (DeWayne), Alex Payne
(Staci), Kaitlin Maple (Conner), Oliver Payne (Savannah), Charlotte Payne,
Elliot Payne, Laura Dunlap, and Sarah Dunlap. There are ten
great-grandchildren, Claire Payne, Kennedy Purvis, Harper Payne, Nathaniel
Payne, Grant Purvis, Hayden Maple, Isaac Payne, Ivan Payne, Carter Purvis,
Quinn Maple. Weldon has one sister, Dr. Doris Carney, Manchester. His
parents Millard and Martha Payne and two other sisters, Ione and Pauline
and his two brothers Talmadge and Buddy are deceased, as well as a great-
grandson, Jackson Purvis.
Visitation with the family will be held on Saturday, April 9, 2022, from
12noon until 2:00pm at Central Funeral Home in Manchester, TN. Funeral
services will be conducted immediately following visitation at 2:00pm with
Dr. Brenton Cox officiating. Burial will follow at Concord Cemetery in
Tullahoma, TN. Donations to Alzheimer’s TN (South Central TN Office, 207 N.
Jackson Street, Tullahoma, TN 37388) are appreciated. Donations can also
be made to First Baptist Church, Manchester, TN.
CHS student takes nominated for student production awards
Coffee County Central High School student Solomon Reynolds has been nominated for an emmy at the 20th annual Regional Student Production Awards.
Reynolds’ winning entry was in the public service announcement category for not driving distracted.
Authorities investigating Thursday bus crash in Franklin County
Authorities in Franklin County are investigating what caused a school bus crash that sent five people to the hospital Thursday, April 7, 2022.
According to authorities, a truck and the bus collided.
Four passengers from the bus were transported to Southern Tennessee Regional Health System, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.
The driver of the truck was flown to Erlanger Hospital, according to FCSD. The crash occurred on Cowan Highway adjacent to Arnold Farm Rd.
Large fundraiser for businesses devastated by March fire is Saturday, April 9. Everyone can help.
Multiple area businesses were destroyed by fire at the Woodland Plaza on Monday morning, March 21.
Businesses that were completely destroyed or incurred significant damage or losses include Most Awesome Cleaning Company, Reese’s Genes Boutique, Greg Green Photography and Toliver’s Warehouse space. Other businesses suffered water and smoke damage.
Area businesses have immediately jumped into action and are offering multiple ways for the Manchester community to help those businesses affected get back onto their feet.
There will be a 5K run/walk at 1 p.m. Saturday April 9 with all sponsorship and registration proceeds going to the affected businesses. The 5K will start and end at the Coffee County Fairgrounds. Registration for runners remains open through April 9. Click here to register.
There will also be a silent auction and a food trucks set up at the registration area for the 5K at the fairgrounds (99 Lakeview Dr.) Anyone wishing to donate to the silent auction should contact Katy Bess at 931-952-8256.
Also on Saturday, April 9, a long (and growing) list of businesses are volunteering to donate a portion of their business proceeds for that day to businesses affected by fire.
So far, businesses that have agreed to participate include:
High Cotton
Sprout Children’s Shop
Southern Diva Boutique
Owen’s Provisions and Apparel
Imhoff Landscape and Supply Yard
Suds & Bubbles
Sun Studio
Naturally Tranquil Spa
Middle TN Thermography
Higgins Lawn Care
Southern Sass Salon
Artsy Edibles by Kimberly
Jefferson’s
Common John Brewing Company
Nails by R
EZ Appliance Repair
Life Long Chiropractic & Wellness
All proceeds will be given directly to businesses destroyed by fire to help offset their disaster costs and loss of payroll. Remember to shop local and shop these businesses on April 9.
H&R BLOCK STUDENT OF THE WEEK – Naomi Abiose
Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin of the Manchester H&R Block and congratulate our student of the week – Naomi Abiose.
Naomi is a 6th grader at Coffee Middle School. She was nominated by her teachers and administrators. Naomi is the daughter of Nichole Hershman.
Her favorite subject is Math. In her free time she enjoys art and playing soccer.
All students of the week are selected for their work ethic and excellent attitudes in and out of the classroom.
Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block, has been inspired to recognize great kids in our community all year long. H&R Block gives each Student of the Week a commemorative plaque, a special letter of recognition and two tickets to Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park.
Job well done, Naomi.
Dot Foods to invest $50M, create 171 new jobs in Coffee County
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Dot Foods, Inc. officials announced Tuesday (April 5, 2022) the company will expand its Tennessee operations by establishing a new distribution facility at the Manchester Industrial Park, a Select Tennessee Certified Site.
Dot Foods will invest $50.5 million and create 171 new jobs as the company constructs a 177,000-square-foot plant in Coffee County, which will be Dot Foods’ second distribution center in Tennessee.
“Tennessee’s strong business climate and highly skilled workforce continue to attract businesses to our state. I thank Dot Foods for investing in Coffee County and providing opportunities for Tennesseans to thrive,” said Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.
The Manchester site will function similarly to Dot Foods’ operations in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and will include dry, refrigerated and frozen warehouse space. In addition, the facility will have the capacity to expand its square footage in order to meet Dot Foods’ growing customer demand among the southeastern U.S.
Dot Foods anticipates breaking ground on its new distribution center late this summer, with operations expected to begin in late 2023.
“We are excited that Dot Foods selected the City of Manchester to serve as the home of their new facility,” said Manchester Mayor Marilyn Howard. “We believe they will be an excellent addition to our business community and cannot wait to see the impact they will have. The vision Dot Foods shared for contributing to workforce development in our area is a big part of what makes this announcement so special. We thank Dot Foods and their entire leadership team for their investment in Manchester and wish them tremendous success.”
Founded in 1960 and headquartered in Mt. Sterling, Illinois, Dot Foods is North America’s largest food industry redistributor, serving all 50 states and more than 55 countries with a product offering of more than 125,000 items. Today, the family-owned and -operated business employs more than 6,300 across North America.
“Tennessee has a lot to offer businesses like ours. Dot Foods first called Tennessee home in the 1980s and early 1990s, and we’ve loved being back in the state since the 2015 opening of our Dyersburg facility,” said Joe Tracy, CEO of Dot Foods, Inc. “We are very excited to establish a second Tennessee location in Manchester. The most critical factor in continuing our business’ history of growth is talent. We know Coffee County and the surrounding region have a lot of it to offer. We look forward to joining this community and growing our Dot Foods and Dot Transportation family.” – Joe Tracy, CEO, Dot Foods, Inc.
In the last five years, TNECD has supported more than 60 economic development projects in the Southern Middle Tennessee region, resulting in roughly 8,000 job commitments and $5.2 billion in capital investment.
Thunder Radio political forum is Thursday. Here is how you can attend, listen or watch.
In an effort to better inform our listeners and the electorate at large, Thunder Radio WMSR will host a political forum on April 7 – just before early voting begins for the May 3 Coffee County primary.
This continues an election-year tradition for Thunder Radio WMSR that dates back to 2012.
The forum will run from 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7. The public is welcome to attend the event, which will be held at The Church at 117 (117 E. Fort St.) just off the square in downtown Manchester.
For those who are unable to attend, the forum will be broadcast live on Thunder Radio: 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM, Manchester Go app, thunder1320.com. You can also watch on Facebook live. Click here to find Thunder Radio on Facebook. Be sure to like /follow the page and watch for the video to go live about 5:50 p.m. There is no charge to attend.
Questions have been submitted by the public for consideration.
The schedule for April 7 is as follows (times are approximate and subject to change).
6:00-6:22 p.m.: Circuit Court Judge Part 2
Eric Burch
Bobby Carter
6:27 – 6:49: General Sessions Judge Part 2
Gerald Ewell
Garth Segroves
6:54 – 7:16: District Attorney General
Craig Northcott
Felicia Walkup
7:21-7:43: Circuit Court Clerk
Jenny Anthony
Josh Morris
7:48-8:05: Road Superintendent
Benton Bartlett
Scott Hansert
8:10-8:32 – Sheriff
Chad Partin
Alethia Rawn
Candidates will be provided up to 2 minutes for opening statements and 2 minutes to answer questions. Closing statement of 1 minute will be given if time allows.
Early voting is April 13-28. Election day May 3.
Peoples Bank donates to completely revamp CHS auditorium sound system
The Coffee County Central High School auditorium will soon have a new look. And a new sound.
Peoples Bank & Trust Company of Manchester made a $15,000 donation to CHS on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, to fund a complete overhaul of the auditorium’s sound system.
The investment will not only cover new speakers, but state of the art audio technology that will allow for sound operations to be moved backstage and the ability to adjust volumes from anywhere in the auditorium through an iPad. There will be new wireless microphones and headsets, drop microphones for large ensembles and other technology that will bring the CHS auditorium sound to be comparable to the best around.
“Coffee County High School is blessed to have a community partner like Peoples Bank and Trust,” said CHS principal Paul Parsley.
The new sound system will be paired with a complete facelift inside the auditorium. The seats have already been removed. There will be new paint on the walls, on the floors and new seating installed to make the 45-year old auditorium new again.
Funds for other repairs and changes will be coming from federal ESSER funds – which comes from a pool of more than $3.8 billion that has been allocated to assist schools in Tennessee manage challenges of COVID-19 pandemic. District level funds will also be allocated, said Parsley.
Parsley said he hopes that renovations will be complete by the start of next school year in August.
Dot Foods to invest $50M, create 171 new jobs in Coffee County
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Dot Foods, Inc. officials announced Tuesday (April 5, 2022) the company will expand its Tennessee operations by establishing a new distribution facility at the Manchester Industrial Park, a Select Tennessee Certified Site.
Dot Foods will invest $50.5 million and create 171 new jobs as the company constructs a 177,000-square-foot plant in Coffee County, which will be Dot Foods’ second distribution center in Tennessee.
“Tennessee’s strong business climate and highly skilled workforce continue to attract businesses to our state. I thank Dot Foods for investing in Coffee County and providing opportunities for Tennesseans to thrive,” said Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.
The Manchester site will function similarly to Dot Foods’ operations in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and will include dry, refrigerated and frozen warehouse space. In addition, the facility will have the capacity to expand its square footage in order to meet Dot Foods’ growing customer demand among the southeastern U.S.
Dot Foods anticipates breaking ground on its new distribution center late this summer, with operations expected to begin in late 2023.
“We are excited that Dot Foods selected the City of Manchester to serve as the home of their new facility,” said Manchester Mayor Marilyn Howard. “We believe they will be an excellent addition to our business community and cannot wait to see the impact they will have. The vision Dot Foods shared for contributing to workforce development in our area is a big part of what makes this announcement so special. We thank Dot Foods and their entire leadership team for their investment in Manchester and wish them tremendous success.”
Founded in 1960 and headquartered in Mt. Sterling, Illinois, Dot Foods is North America’s largest food industry redistributor, serving all 50 states and more than 55 countries with a product offering of more than 125,000 items. Today, the family-owned and -operated business employs more than 6,300 across North America.
“Tennessee has a lot to offer businesses like ours. Dot Foods first called Tennessee home in the 1980s and early 1990s, and we’ve loved being back in the state since the 2015 opening of our Dyersburg facility,” said Joe Tracy, CEO of Dot Foods, Inc. “We are very excited to establish a second Tennessee location in Manchester. The most critical factor in continuing our business’ history of growth is talent. We know Coffee County and the surrounding region have a lot of it to offer. We look forward to joining this community and growing our Dot Foods and Dot Transportation family.” – Joe Tracy, CEO, Dot Foods, Inc.
In the last five years, TNECD has supported more than 60 economic development projects in the Southern Middle Tennessee region, resulting in roughly 8,000 job commitments and $5.2 billion in capital investment.
Rental scam alert issued for Coffee County Sheriff’s Department
There is a new rental scam the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department is warning residents to be aware of.
According to CCSD, reports are being filed in reference to homes posted “for rent” but those homes are actually for sale by a realtor.
The scammers are posting a residence on social media and listing it “for rent” while blocking the realtor or realty company from seeing the post. The scammers ask for deposit and first months rent through a pay app or bitcoin. This is a scam.
“Always do your research on the home that you are wanting to buy or rent,” said the sheriff’s department. “Make sure to meet the owner in person before paying any money.”
To report a potential fraud or scam, call the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department at 931-728-3591.
